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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24361540">Hunter's Lament</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/shewh0was/pseuds/shewh0was'>shewh0was</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Snippets From a World Torn Apart (AKA Destiny fics) [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Destiny (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Grief/Mourning, Heavy Angst, Other, Self-Harm, follows a little bit of lore, kind of lore compliant, not beta read we die like men, the saladin/shiro is there if you squint</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 10:08:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,173</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24361540</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/shewh0was/pseuds/shewh0was</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Shiro-4 mourns the loss of one of his oldest friends, Cayde-6.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cayde-6 &amp; Shiro-4 (Destiny), Saladin Forge/Shiro-4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Snippets From a World Torn Apart (AKA Destiny fics) [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1740094</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Hunter's Lament</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I realized that with the exception of Lush (let's be honest, he's probably dead), Shiro is the last person that ran with Andal, Cayde, Nian, Lush, and Tevis. I immediately went to write angst of him because angst is fun and I've only heard one mention of Shiro in-game in D2 from an NPC in the tower.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>His grief started with the loss of Lush, the man who had run off after losing his Ghost to Taniks the Scarred (the bastard Fallen didn’t seem to die any time soon, no matter how times lead was put into him. Swords, rockets, and grenade launchers never seemed to work either). </p>
<p> </p>
<p>His grief expanded with Andal’s death at the hands (limbs? Grotesquely added prosthetics that shouldn’t be there in the first place?) of Taniks. He held himself together, for Tevis and Cayde. Tevis, the poor bastard, ended up leaving dents in the columns of the wall with his self-destructive behaviours. Cayde, picking up the new Vanguard position, held a strong stature in front of the Vanguard and Guardians, but the moment the doors to his quarters closed, he broke down. Shiro couldn’t let his own grief overpower the grief of those around him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>His healing took time. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He took his place as a vendor in the Iron Temple, working under Saladin, and taking up arms as a Vanguard Scout. He still checked up on Cayde every few weeks, making sure he was alright. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Then Tevis was lost to the Black Garden, his Ghost on one side of a Vex warp gate, and him on the other. Tevis had left for the Garden and never came back. Hunters left the City afterwards, he heard. Not like many of them had stayed for long periods of time before then, with their commonly being paranoid and restless. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shiro had screamed into the halls of the Iron Temple until his voice modulator had short-circuited itself and he began tearing his Exo body apart, ripping wires and bending plating. His Ghost watched from the sidelines, Shiro refusing to let them heal him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cayde was dead. Shot by the Forsaken Prince, Uldren Sov. His Ghost, dear Sundance, had been destroyed by one of the Scorn. Nothing could better explain what Shiro felt than rage. Rage and the need for vengeance. Word travelled quickly with Hunters, and many flocked to the Iron Temple once again, searching for answers from Shiro. Many more, he heard from whispers in the once-silent Temple, had fled to the Wilds. One Guardian, in particular, had left on a run to hunt down the Prince’s Barons in search of vengeance for Cayde’s death. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shiro ripped at the plating of his arms, tearing the wires when he heard. He refused to speak, his voice modulator disabled in his grief. He couldn’t acknowledge the loss of Cayde, one of his best friends, one of his oldest friends. That was how he found himself huddled into Saladin, his body shaking with tears that couldn’t be shed, his modulator crackling and eyes squeezed shut. Saladin’s slow hands rubbed circles into his back, his actions speaking more than words with each touch. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Two weeks later, he found himself standing in the shadows of a gathering in Cayde’s honour, listening to his Ghost make their speech about Cayde. Cayde, his best friend. Cayde, one of the best people he had met. Cayde, who didn’t deserve the reckless death he was given at the hands of the peacock known as Prince Uldren Sov. </p>
<p>“You're all special. He was no different. At first. Just as special, same as the rest.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“All that's changed, obviously. Over time he… distanced himself—stood out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It took some time for her to adjust to his personality. From what she's shared, it took him time as well. The Cayde-6 known to all is not the man he was in total. His wit and his playfulness were a shield—a weapon as trained as his blade or his hand cannons.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“He called her Sundance. I was never sure why. She said it was from an old legend—a fable from the time before. I always thought it was because of her spark, the grace with which she moved—so effortless, so sly. They were a perfect match.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“There's no doubt he recounted his return to those closest to him on more than one occasion; and there's no doubt as well that the events shifted a bit with each telling. Like his wit, the building of his legend was a weapon.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“For those who don't know… For those who were not lucky enough to hear the tale of Cayde-6's first from his own mouth—with that charm and the way he'd act out his favourite parts, complete with sound effects—here is one telling…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It's a recording from cycles past. It's not the whole story, but where Cayde-6 was involved, nothing ever was…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"’ BOOM! I wake up. Groggy. Confused. Hungover. It's the same for us all so that initial shock's nothing new. Sundance is in my face, and I'm freaking out. My brain works, but I don't remember a thing 'cept that I seem to be a functioning life form—I'm human, I'm a man. And then my mind starts reeling a thousand miles a minute. BOOM-BOOM-BOOM. Like I'm downloading the 'Idiot's Guide to Basic Human Existence.' Cool. Great. Still can't remember anything. And I sure can't wrap my head around the talking, floating magic robot orb-thing jabbering in my face. I'm freaked. So, I freaked. Smacked her to the ground. Hard… And I ran.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"’ I'm runnin'. She's runnin'… Or, ya know, whatever she's doin' since she doesn't have any legs… She's right behind me, going, 'Wrong way! Wrong way!' She's screaming. I'm screaming. Whatever she's yelling, I just keep running. It's night. Did I mention that? It's nighttime and my eyes are still adjusting. So, I'm runnin', I'm runnin'. Can't see. Can't remember. Scared to death. Confused as all get-out. And then—</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"’ I fall. I'm straight up falling. Just like that, I ran… Right. Off. A. Cliff. It wasn't a short drop. I bounced… so many times. Felt each and every one. Till I didn't. Till it all went black again. And then…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"’ BOOM! I'm back! She got me right up on my feet. Just like she always does. And that, my dudes, was the start of a beautiful friendship.’</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Most haven't heard that story, and in listening, you hopefully weren't looking for any definitive truth of who he was as a man or a Guardian. That's not what the story's for. Its purpose, now more than ever, fits nicely into the armour Cayde wore best…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“He thought it was funny. And now, more than ever…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They sighed. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Cayde would want us to laugh.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shiro watched the shaking-yet-stoic shoulders of the Hunters in the crowd, hell, he watched some Titans bow their heads as their shoulders shook. Warlocks were clinging to the outskirts of the crowd, some removing their helmets to wipe away a stray tear, and others moving forward to comfort who he assumed were fireteam members or romantic partners. Four Hunters transmitted out of the area, while others stood, staring at the Ghost in front of them. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shiro sighed. Cayde’s death wouldn’t be in vain. No more Guardians should die in vain to beings and powers much more powerful than them. He wouldn’t allow it. Not this time. <br/><br/></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>shut up i'm not sad about cayde. Also, the speech shiro's ghost gives is directly copy-pasted from here: https://www.ishtar-collective.net/entries/a-heros-requiem?highlight=shiro-4</p></blockquote></div></div>
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